IN 1990, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons. Since then, the day is being observed all over the world as a mark of respect and responsibility towards elderly persons. The theme of the day this year is ‘Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide’. Older people play an integral part in strengthening our communities and neighbourhoods as workers, carers, volunteers, activists, and community connectors, but their contributions are ignored.Ìý
Who is elderly? The legal definition depends on age and varies from country to country. In the United States, anyone on or above 65 is legally considered elderly. In Bangladesh, anyone on or above 60 years of age is considered elderly. Whatever the age, it is always said that loneliness is an essential concomitant of old age, but what is loneliness?
Roughly speaking, loneliness means living alone, away from family and social connections. It is an unpleasant situation. However, there is a difference between loneliness and solitude. Solitude is simply the state of being apart from others. On the other hand, loneliness can be felt even when a person is surrounded by other people. In the traditional sense, loneliness occurs mainly in old age. It is said that loneliness leads to depression, mental breakdown, and even self-destruction or suicide, even at an early age.Ìý
Is loneliness always bad? In his play King Lear (1606) William Shakespeare has said,Ìý
‘Who alone suffers, suffers most i’ th’ mind,
Leaving free things and happy shows behind.Ìý Ìý
But then the mind much sufferance doth o’erskip
When grief hath mates and bearing fellowship.’
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), a Serbian-American engineer, futurist, and inventor, has said, ‘Be alone — that is the secret of invention: be alone, that is when ideas are born. The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude. Originality thrives in seclusion, free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind.’ Even legendary Hollywood screen queen Marilyn Monroe said, ‘It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company. Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better. When the people you love are gone, you’re alone.’ Though the reason for her death only at 36 is still mysterious, it is thought that she committed suicide due to frustration and loneliness.
There are many other inspiring quotes on loneliness, but reality is different in many ways. Old age loneliness is considered a matter of deep concern all over the world. Dying unnoticed is normally thought of as lonely death. It is gradually increasing in many countries of the world in recent years. It is not uncommon in Bangladesh. In Bibhutibhushan’s famous novel Pather Panchali (1929), filmed by Statyajit Ray in 1955, old Indir Thakrun was lying dead in a bamboo grove. It was an outcome of utmost poverty and negligence from family. It has been nearly a century, and the situation of elderly people in need has not changed much. With the advancement in science, technology, and the overall economy, average age has increased, and affordability towards a better life is abundant. At old age, however, all these socio-economic advancements could turn pale simply because of overwhelming loneliness.Ìý
Indir Thakrun is a reel character, but Marilyn Monroe is both reel and real. Their time, age, environment, lifestyle, social status — everything is strikingly different, but their deaths are almost similar. Indir Thakrun was lying dead in a bamboo grove, and Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home. Both of them died alone. Such lonely death, particularly in old age, is alarmingly increasing in many countries of the world.
Such a country is Japan, the country of sunrise. Most of the elderly in the world live in Japan. Currently, about 30 per cent of Japan’s total population is elderly, and one in every 10 people is at the age of 80 or above. A report of Japanese police shows how lonely the country’s senior citizens are. As reported by Japan’s National Police Agency, about 40,000 people died alone at home in Japan during January and June of this year. A more shocking fact has been reported: 4,000 dead bodies were lying inside their houses for a month. News of those lonely and unfortunate deaths did not reach anyone outside. The number of senior citizens has increased gradually due to the significant increase in average life expectancy. Inversely, Japan’s family size is also shrinking due to reluctance to have children. In the absence of family, loneliness is swallowing elderly people.Ìý
Another such place is Singapore. On July 15, a report from CodeBlue informs that living long but dying alone in Singapore is gradually increasing. Singapore’s longevity success hides a dark side of lonely deaths of its seniors. News of older people dying alone at home and their bodies being discovered much later appears frequently in Singapore’s local news headlines. At least 37 such lonely deaths were reported in 2023. The report says that longevity is not everything. Increased lifespan is certainly a positive matter, but for many elders, it is a harsh reality of living and dying lonely.
Old age needs the association of near ones or some others. Old home may be a solution, but it is not yet very popular in our country. Family is always considered the best. Referring to Prothom Alo, on August 1, 2022, the daily Anandabazar reported that Mr Iyad Ali died of cancer two years ago. His two sons are financially solvent, but after his death, his wife, Dolly Akhtar, has become lonely. His son Mohammad Apurba posted on social media, ‘Father is dead. So, I am looking for a bridegroom for my mother.’ He also mentioned the type of bridegroom. He said two brothers took this initiative with their mother’s permission. As they remain very busy with their work, their mother feels very lonely. Many people praised the initiative of the sons to mitigate the loneliness of their mother.
It is normally thought that older people are not producers, nor are they regular consumers and frontline shoppers. So, neither society nor the market will think about them. If we remember old age, we have to think for ourselves. Stopping for a while in the rush of success, we have to think that the future is not only a better car, a bigger house, a luxurious life, and more exotic foreign trips, but growing old and turning lonely are the unavoidable realities of the future. So, though not for any noble idea, it is imperative to think over it at least for our own well-being.Ìý
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Chinmay Prasun Biswas is a former commissioner of taxes.